


Anydream (let me dream again)

by orphan_account



Category: AnyBand
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 03:57:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four people, four cities. One simple goal: Talk. Play. Love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anydream (let me dream again)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rana Eros (ranalore)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranalore/gifts).



도시의 불빛 속에, 붐비는 밤거리에  
너와 나만의 세상 속에 let's talk play and love

**I. Tokyo**

She's in Tokyo when it happens.

It's not that there haven't been any signs, but Bora hasn't paid attention; she stays in her world of music and composing and the feel of piano keys against her fingers. She focuses on the things she loves and lets Tablo take care of the rest, because it's the way it has always been and she has never thought twice about it. "You're the musical genius, girl, you just keep playing," Tablo will tell her, and he'll sit for hours watching her play and writing lyrics about freedom and happiness and love.

Before Bora gets the chance to do her first solo concert, all musical arrangements are cancelled, shut down. She sits next to Tablo in the hotel room, watching the TV; the news are in Japanese, but Tablo translates for her with a flat, emotionless voice. Tells her that the governments in most countries have been taken over by an international group that has decided that the world needs to change. Tells her that rules are being imposed all over the world, tells her about universal laws and the strict punishment for when said laws are broken, tells her about the military that have been recruited to keep the population in check, tells her that everyone will be given new jobs and that the whole world will have to work together to make everything better.

"Fuck this shit," Tablo says at the end, and switches off the TV. Bora is inclined to agree; she walks over to the window and finds that the neon signs have been turned off, and that there are already speakers in the streets, tinny voices repeating their mantra of "no talk, no play, no love".

She shakes her head, doesn't want to believe that something like this could happen. "This isn't real," she says, and looks to Tablo for reassurance.

He only sighs and shrugs, doesn't look surprised at all. "It's real, and it's bullshit. There are always people like this. Crusaders, fucking saints, who think they can change the world and make it better as long as everyone's the same. As if music and people holding hands in the park is the reason why the ozone layer has gone to shit and the rain forests are dying. Motherfuckers."

Bora opens her mouth to agree - just with less cursing - but doesn't get a chance to before Tablo's phone rings. He answers it, keeps swearing into it for a good long while before he nods and hangs up.

"That was BoA. She has... I can't explain it right now, but I'm gonna have to leave you for a while," Tablo says and drags his suitcase out, shoving his belongings into it and smacking it shut. He looks worried, and Bora doesn't blame him. She's worried too. "You're going to be okay on your own, right? I know you. You can do anything you put your mind to, can't you? I'll call for you when it's safe."

Bora nods and offers him a reassuring smile. It's time to be strong.

**II. Paris**

Even the Eiffel Tower has gone dark.

Xiah wanders the streets in the hours between night and day, and tries to remember his life before this. It's only been nine months, but it feels like nine years. He thought it would be better here than in Seoul, he thought he'd have more freedom, but nothing's different. He sees the same rows of people being marched from one job to the next, sees the same horde of military and police, sees the same suffering.

He protests the best way he knows how. He plays the guitar and sings at the foot of L'arc de Triomphe, he shouts lyrics and poetry out over the Seine, he covers as many walls as he can with their motto, their message. Xiah knows that he can't change the world like this, but it all feels worth it every time he sees someone hide a smile from hearing him sing or from seeing his graffiti. It's a lonely fight, a painful fight, a dangerous fight.

But he doesn't think he'll ever stop - he won't let his friends down.

Out of nowhere - that is how it always happens - BoA calls him. Their phone calls are few and far between, because they have to be careful, but every little world shared between them means the world to him. It's all they have, now that computers are banned, now that all letters are opened and read by government officials, now that the TV networks are controlled and only show limited news and programs about how they're all doing the right thing and how this is going to save the world.

"Come to Brazil," BoA says, and he can hear forbidden laughter in her voice.

Xiah doesn't ask why or how, doesn't ask for reasons or explanations. He just goes.

**III. Rio de Janeiro**

In Rio, they get their first break. It's BoA's idea (of course), but they all go along with it - maybe it's just a small protest, but it doesn't feel like it.

Tablo thinks that this, all of it, will eventually become a matter of life and death, and he knows that he'll keep fighting for their right to live their own life until the day he's arrested. Or worse. He doesn't mind being a criminal when it's for the right reasons.

He's the one starting it; breaking in to get his hands on a guitar again. Fuck, it's been too damn long, and all Tablo wants is to make music again. He wants to play, he wants to sing, he wants to rap. He wants to be with his friends again, he wants to see them happy, fucking happy, and he doesn't think it's too much to ask. It shouldn't

They play. They're close enough to see each other, but too far away to touch, and maybe it's okay that way. Maybe it's even better. He can see Bora; she still looks so small, so fragile, but he knows she's just as capable of holding her own as the rest of them. He can see Xiah, grinning so wide that his smile battles the sun. He can see BoA, and even from a rooftop away, he can tell that she's proud of them, of this. Tablo leans his head back, laughs, and puts his heart and soul into the music. For the first time in over a year, he feels free.

They play. They laugh. They love.

Afterwards, they walk the streets of Rio and watch the smiles and the joy, watch the people hugging each other and the soldiers joining in, and Tablo thinks that this, this is it. This is freedom, the way it should be. He stops when he catches sight of BoA and looks at her, asks her without words to come with him, so that they can all be together again.

She doesn't answer, merely walks away.

Tablo smiles, and lets her go her own way. It's not time yet.

**IV. Seoul**

She's back home for the first time in what feels like years, and Boa thinks that this is where they need to do it - this should be the end of this mad world, and the start of the new one. A world in which everyone has the same rights, a world in which there is freedom to do whatever you want to, a world in which she can be with her friends instead of keeping away from them because it's safer if they stay separated.

It's time to put an end to it.

Because it's more than just the four of them now. What started as a small, stubborn rebellion has grown to a size which BoA can barely comprehend, with members all over the globe. There's no leader, no rules, no goal other than freedom. There's a plan, a crazy plan, to free the rightful leaders of the countries; a plan to get everything back to normal. It's not very detailed and like Xiah has pointed out, a thousand things can go wrong, but BoA has made up her mind. They are going to do this.

And they do.

She doesn't know how, or if it has worked all over the world. She doesn't know if overturning the military and filling the streets with music and mayhem will have a lasting effect. She doesn't know what tomorrow will bring. All BoA knows is that Xiah's here, that he's been laughing through all of this, and that he has his arm around Bora in a half protective and half shy manner. All she knows is that Bora is the one who orchestrated all the musical aspects of their plan and that she's matured in ways BoA hadn't even thought possible. All she knows that Tablo's with them, with her, and that he's adamant not to leave any of them behind again, ever.

All BoA knows is that she loves them, all of them, and she smiles and takes Tablo's hand, pulling him out to the edge of the roof. Xiah and Bora follow, and Bora takes BoA's other hand, laces their fingers together, holds on. They stand side by side, all four of them, and watch the fireworks. Even from here, they can see the people in the streets and hear the cheers that are breaking out. They can see the effect their fight has had. They can see the future.

BoA has faith in that future. She believes that with this, the world can be the way it should be again.

She can only hope she's right.


End file.
